The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread! - Thread NINE

See our "who's who" page! ^

[CindyDawg]

It was cold and raining this morning.

[CindyDawg]

hey, what's pesto? I bought some cheese raviolli at Sam's and a jar of green sauce. How much do you use? Momma never fixed this kind of stuff:') I also bought some meat and other food that looked good and am now home eating rice from Circle K and baked cheetos (rolling eyes)

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Cold here too, but the sun is shining. Forecasting one more night of freezing temps, then back to 60 highs and 50's lows:) I'd say what little winter we had is over now. uuuhhhh, knocking on wood, tho:)

Becky

[FrogInABlender]

...Whichever you do... just make them the same on each side...

Well, you can't exactly do that. Western saddles have an "off" billet that's completely different than the one on the near side. The off billet is like a 5 ft strap that's been run through the saddle D half way, so that equal amounts hang down from it and there are matching holes on each side so that the tongue of the girth goes through both pieces. I've got the it hanging in the front saddle D right now.

But as for the knot on the near side, I'm kinda leaning towards the 3rd knot. The way it's tied is the strap goes down from the front D, through the back of the girth ring, back up and through the front of the back D, back down through the back of the girth ring, back up and through the front of the front D, then out and across both straps and in through the back of the rear D, then under itself and down. It seems to lay pretty flat that way, and like you say, it seems to pull the saddle down more evenly. But then, I've not ridden it that way, and I don't know if it'll stay tied that way. I guess I can always try it and see.

[FrogInABlender]

Well, I just re-thought my last post, and I can make them the same on both sides. I'd just have to use the 1st knot. Either that, or replace the off billet with one like the near side, which I can do, because I have an extra one that I bought some time back when I was borrowing an old dry-rotted saddle from my riding buddy to put on the colts for their first saddling. It turned out I really didn't need to do that, because first saddling was such a non-event that I just started using my regular saddle.

So I don't know which would be better, using the regular off billet and the first knot, or replacing the off billet with a longer strap and tying the 3rd knot on both sides. Decisions, decisions. English saddles are just way easier!

[FrogInABlender]

I think "Extreme Cowboy Race" is a weekly thing, at least for a while. I gather that it's kinda like "The Amazing Race" in that they start out with a lot of teams, and every week, somebody gets eliminated until they have a final winner. The next time it comes on is Friday night and I think the info on it said 3rd heat, or something like that.

[FrogInABlender]

...am now home eating rice from Circle K and baked cheetos (rolling eyes)

Mmmmmmmm, Cheetos....drool

[rahbert]

We are new horse owners. I have a 4 yo QH mare (Chickie) and
my wife's is a 9 yo QH mare (Sugar).

Chickie managed to get tangled in barbed wire and cut herself so she's taking some time off and enjoying her new
digs (Gainesville Tx). I am going to outrage the neighbors
and ride her English style (wife says she doesn't know me;-)

Noones ever seen a cutter work with an English rig before
(should provide lots of amusement for the locals)..

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

LOL. I'd have to disagree:)

I missed Charlie coming in this morning. I didn't even know they had left for work till Mack called to see if I was up:). The one morning I was sleeping late too.

I don't know if these pictures will help, but this is the way my western works/looks.

The off billet:

I wrap the cinch a few times thru the ring with the latigo, then put the tongue of the cinch in one of the holes,

Then pull the extra up thru the keeper. I don't even tie a knot.

If I was to tie a knot it would look like this, much like your's looked in the first picture.

Nothing in these pictures are pulled tight, hard to do on a saddle rack:). But when the latigo is pulled up and thru the keeper that locks the tongue down so it can't slip out.

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Welcome to the thread:)

Using English rig, is not usual unless you plan on cutting in it:). What type of riding do you plan on doing, Trails, shows, etc?

Have you done much riding in the past?

Becky

[MissTargets]

Good Morning. It's Friday again! My time goes so fast. Personal Holiday for me today...yeah. Pre view weekend for the new release of Guild Wars. Guess what I will be doing all day. ;')

Frog, on your saddle, most would tie on the first ring, then put the excess strap through the second ring. Western saddles have a keeper of sorts for the strap, but show saddles are like yours. Makes for a cleaner look.

[MissTargets]

Hello, would you like added to the morning ping list?

[HairOfTheDog]

Welcome to the thread, and welcome to new horse ownership :~D

I ride English too... :~D

Sorry your mare got so cut up, barbed wire can be a bad scene. Hope she recovers quickly.

I'm a little sick today up here in Washington.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Sorry to hear you're sick. Any better or worse since yesterday?

Becky

[HairOfTheDog]

~whine~ - But I think I'm better. I at least don't think I'm gonna be real bad. I'm a little achy and thick, and that congestion, but I've got lots of medicines to drown it in.

I never get sick. ~stomps foot~

[FrogInABlender]

Hey, welcome to the thread! A lot of us ride english around here on various types of horses, so you've got lots of company. Feel free to drop in on us any time. I'm usually here on week days. I ride gaited horses and you can check out my little herd on my "about" page. HairOfTheDog and PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain are here in and out most all the time, along with lots of others. We have a link to our "Who's Who" page at the top of the thread where you can see who some of the other regulars are and what their horses look like. We love pictures, so feel free to post some.

I feel for ya with the barbed wire cut. One of my filles did that back last summer, argueing with a jenny through the fence. But it wasn't too terribly bad, she got herself out. One of my other horses cut his right front leg really bad on something, I don't know what, back in September and it took 4 or 5 months to heal well enough that I could ride him again. Horses are accidents waiting to happen, that's for sure.

[rahbert]

I've been riding for about a year. Chickie is a sweet little
horse and wants to get out and run (which led her to getting involved with the wire). I plan to trail ride and
equitate around the locale.. She does have cutting horse
lineage and I may give a try at some calves at some point.

Seriously though, I probably want to do that in a cutting saddle so as to not lose my seat.

Her wounds are healing nicely and once her hooves grow out
enough for a proper trim its time to get her back out under
instruction. There's so much to learn...

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

Well maybe it won't be bad or last along time. I've come close a few times this year, thinking I was getting sick, but so far knock on wood a good nights sleep seemed to clear it up. I can't remember the last time I was really sick. I'd like to keep it that way:).

Becky

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

There's so much to learn...

LOL, you said a mouthful there. I've been at it for 20 years now, and learn new stuff almost on a daily basis.

You definitly want to use a cutting saddle if you are going to do cutting:). But as far as trail riding in and E. Saddle. People do it all the time. I would be now if the one I bought had fit my horse. I've had trouble the last year finding a saddle to fit the horse I have. I have finally had to break down and have one special made for him. Altho he doesn't appear to be that big of a horse, I guess he is just very wide in his shoulders/withers, not sure where the problem is. My new saddle should be ready in about 2 weeks. I pretty much do nothing other then trail ride, but my new saddle will be a western style.

So are you taking lessons or just flying by the seat of your pants, so to speak:)? Do you board your horses, or keep that at your place?

Becky

[FrogInABlender]

Bein' sick's a B!tch ain't it! Since last Friday, I've been working on my 3rd cold of the year. Working in a cube farm is almost as bad as being in pre-school as far as catching everybody else's germs goes. I'm about over it now but am still full of the snotts. I hope you get to feeling better soon!